Promotion to Flesh Refining! Military Service Bureau Mini-Test!

"If you want to know what happens next, listen to the next chapter's tale!"

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When Lu Ming said this, Feng Qingzhu was momentarily taken aback, a hint of lingering interest flickering across her face before she quickly composed herself. Her eyes shifted, she glanced at Lu Ming once, then turned and walked away.

Lu Ming didn't mind. The story had only just begun; once he reached the exciting parts, he could try asking for the Eighteen Green Bamboo Forms.

Of course, just telling stories might not be enough.

But since Feng Qingzhu lacked cultivation resources, if he used storytelling to build rapport and then offered to trade with cultivation elixirs, it might not be impossible.

This matter would have to be handled step by step.

Lu Ming pondered as he left the clearing in front of the woods, heading back to his own courtyard.

As he passed an intersection, he faintly heard the sound of chopping meat coming from the direction of the Public Kitchen.

Lu Ming couldn't help but wonder—lunch was already over, so why was a cook still preparing food in the kitchen?

His mind stirred. Usually, the cooks in the Public Kitchen were nowhere to be seen, yet the daily meals for four hundred disciples seemed to appear out of thin air.

Now, hearing unusual noises from the kitchen, curiosity stirred within Lu Ming, and he quietly approached the Public Kitchen.

Peering inside, his eyes widened slightly.

Inside the kitchen, the wind rustled the greasy curtain, vaguely revealing a figure. Lu Ming caught a glimpse of a profile—it was none other than Wei Jinlin.

"This..." Lu Ming's mouth twitched.

Wei Jinlin—Director of the Military Service Bureau, martial arts instructor, Utility Room steward, courier... and cook?!

Seeing Wei Jinlin's stern expression, seemingly displeased, Lu Ming suddenly recalled that when Wei Jinlin had taught him the Cloud-Piercing Finger in the afternoon, dinner had been delayed by an hour, and he had looked just as unhappy back then.

So it turned out that the delay in cooking was because he had been teaching Lu Ming the technique and lost track of time.

Clearly, Wei Jinlin detested overtime.

Lu Ming's eyes flickered, and he quickly retreated quietly, not wanting to get caught up in it.

Not long after Lu Ming left, a figure outside the Public Kitchen used light-footed techniques, moving like a ghost and leaving afterimages as he entered the kitchen.

Once he stopped, it turned out to be an old man with graying temples. Seeing a full table of fragrant, appetizing dishes—both fish and meat—he narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled:

"Brother Wei's cook here is quite skilled, making such delicious food. Your junior brother happens to be hungry."

With that, he sat down and began eating without ceremony.

Wei Jinlin's face remained expressionless as he silently watched him eat.

Only after the old man finished did he speak flatly:

"You're the Director of the Military Service Bureau in neighboring Black Mountain County. At this critical moment, why have you come looking for me?"

The old man, Xu Shou, put down his bowl and chopsticks and sighed:

"Brother, you may not know this, but an Iron-Skin Pig Demon that was kept in my county's Martial Arts Arena was forcibly taken by a monster."

Wei Jinlin's gaze sharpened: "Military Service Bureau disciples?"

Xu Shou said: "A few died."

Wei Jinlin said: "Don't think I'll cover for you."

Xu Shou smiled bitterly: "How would I dare! I'll take responsibility for this matter myself. But right now, the monsters are running rampant, and with my abilities, I can't stop them.

"Besides, the special training material—the Iron-Skin Pig Demon's corpse—was taken by the monster. This year, my Black Mountain County has over four hundred disciples who won't be able to train. Isn't that dangerous?

"So I was thinking... could I borrow your place and move them here?"

Seeing Wei Jinlin frown, Xu Shou quickly added:

"I've already informed the prefectural city, and they've approved it."

Wei Jinlin said indifferently:

"If the prefectural city has already approved it, why ask me? But four hundred disciples are too many—I don't have room here."

Seeing him relent, Xu Shou hurriedly said: "No need for that many—I'll only bring the top hundred over."

Wei Jinlin said: "I have a suggestion."

Xu Shou said solemnly: "Brother, please speak."

Wei Jinlin stood up and clapped his hands. "I don't keep idle people here. After you move over, you'll be the cook."

Xu Shou stared blankly at the food on the table: "Did you make all this, Brother? Doesn't the Military Service Bureau have a budget to hire cooks?"

Wei Jinlin said: "That's my money."

Xu Shou coughed dryly and said: "In that case, it's fine. From now on, the daily meal expenses for Red Cloud County's disciples will also be deducted from my budget."

Wei Jinlin stared at him: "Your budget?"

Xu Shou's face stiffened, and he tentatively asked: "Is it... Brother's budget?"

Wei Jinlin said: "Good. Wash the dishes first—get some practice."

Xu Shou watched Wei Jinlin's relaxed retreating figure, then looked at the messy table of dishes waiting for him to clean up, his mouth twitching.

"I'm an old man!"

The next day.

The Grand Martial Arts Arena.

"Five days from now, there will be a preliminary test. The three people who go deepest into the Iron Stake Area will each receive a Red Token."

On the high platform, Wei Jinlin addressed the group of white-robed disciples.

A hundred elite disciples from the Black Mountain County Military Service Bureau were about to arrive, and when they did, competition for the Iron-Scaled Python Demon would be inevitable.

All he could do was, before that, reasonably distribute three portions in advance to look after the county's own disciples.

As for who would get them, that depended on their own skill.

Hearing this, the crowd immediately buzzed with discussion.

"A test in five days? We don't have to personally seize a Red Token—just the top three in depth qualify?"

"Doesn't that sound harder? If you have the strength to be in the top three, how could you fail to get a Red Token later?"

"No, it seems Master Wei never limited the number of Red Tokens one could obtain! Doesn't that mean, if you're capable enough, one person could take two or even more Red Tokens?"

"If I could just get one Red Token, I'd be happy with just a tenth of the demon meat."

"We probably don't stand a chance. Only Chen Feng, Feng Qingzhu, Zhao Zhiqiu, and the like have a shot!"

The crowd's gazes turned to Chen Feng and the others. Among the sea of white robes, they shone brilliantly, each having ventured the deepest into the Iron Stake Area.

Among them, Feng Qingzhu, Zhao Zhiqiu, and Liu Yiyi lingered around the twentieth and twenty-first stakes.

Meanwhile, Chen Feng had pulled ahead to the twenty-third stake, already tacitly recognized as the top of this batch.

In the crowd, Lu Ming was unremarkable at the moment, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. A test in five days?

The top three would each receive a Red Token—that is, a portion of demon meat!

Thinking back to Wei Jinlin's abrupt decision yesterday to cook lunch after the meal, Lu Ming vaguely sensed there might be some connection.

Perhaps something had changed, since there had never been any mention of a test before.

In that case, he couldn't afford to miss out on this demon meat. No matter how much was left afterward, he'd secure one portion as a baseline first.

"Alright, continue training." Wei Jinlin finished speaking and turned to leave.

Lu Ming suppressed the stray thoughts in his mind, stepped into the Iron Stake Area, and silently cultivated.

[Evolving Acupoint Divine Ability (4696/10000)...]

[Evolving...]

[Evolving Acupoint Divine Ability (5892/10000)...]

On the night of the third day, Lu Ming had just finished his day's training. His entire body surged with Blood-Qi Power, his momentum climbing to its peak.

Hah! As if some shackle had burst open, Blood-Qi Power seeped into his muscles, and Lu Ming's strength skyrocketed!

"Flesh Refining!" Lu Ming clenched his fists, his heart surging with excitement.

He had finally stepped into this level. Now, he had more confidence for the test the day after tomorrow.

For the next two days, he still went to the Grand Martial Arts Arena every day to train, and in the afternoon, he sparred with Feng Qingzhu in front of the woods and told her stories.

Two days later, with one month remaining until the Military Service Grand Exam, the test began!

At the Grand Martial Arts Arena, everyone was brimming with energy, staring at the Iron-Scaled Python Demon at the deepest part of the Iron Stake Area, its scales gleaming with a dark iron luster.